


Family Recipe

by BegoniaRex



Category: Midnight Poppy Land (Webcomic)
Genre: Dinner, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27073231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BegoniaRex/pseuds/BegoniaRex
Summary: Tora attempts to make Poppy dinner for the first time. He runs into some trouble and gets help from an unexpected source.
Relationships: Tora/Poppy Wilkes
Comments: 27
Kudos: 151





	Family Recipe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FawkesFire13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FawkesFire13/gifts).



> This is for FawkesFire13, because I love her writing so very much. She writes the best, sweetest fluff, and I tried to channel her as much as I could with this one. This was all her idea, and I hope I did justice to it.  
> Update: This is now an audio fic as well. You can listen here: https://anchor.fm/begonia-reads/episodes/Family-Recipe-eq0our

Tora stared down at the items spread out in front of him on his countertop, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him.

It was just dinner, for fuck’s sake. 

Sure, he didn't cook for _himself_ all that often, but it wasn't like he'd never been in a kitchen before. Christ, he'd worked at a fuckin' _restaurant_ for 5 years! 

Yeah, he'd only done prep work under the direction of whoever was running the kitchen that day when he wasn't cleaning tables or washing dishes; Alice and other staff always did the actual cooking part. But still, it wasn't _that_ complicated...right? 

Tora had picked up a few skills over the years he'd spent helping in the old woman’s kitchen. He could cut up an onion five different ways, no problem. He could easily make a shit ton of rice in one go and not have any of it be gloppy or dried out. Hell, one of the sushi chefs had taken the time to teach him how to properly filet a fish, though he'd yet to have an opportunity to put that particular bit of knowledge to any use.

This should be easy for him, an absolute cake walk. He just needed to combine the ingredients in front of him into one simple dish. It was just some stupid noodles and tomato sauce. 

So why was he so nervous then? 

Maybe because today he wasn't cooking for himself. Tora was making dinner for the first time for _Poppy_.

Or at least he was going to once he figured out the damn recipe.

 _You're getting worked up over nothing_ , he berated himself, _stop being such a pussy and just get to work._

This wasn't a big deal, it _shouldn't_ be a big deal. 

Hell, he'd already made dinner _with_ Poppy a few times now at her place.

He loved standing next to her in her tiny ass little kitchen, the two of them barely fitting in there as they worked together. She had plenty of experience cooking and it showed. His girlfriend was so confident and self assured as she directed him to chop this, slice that, mix those two things together, taking everything he prepped and turning it into something delicious and satisfying.

 _His girlfriend._ Those two words still felt so surreal to say together. They’d been together for just a few months now, and Tora wanted to do something special for Poppy. Something to say thank you for all the light and joy she brought into his life. He wanted to make her as happy as she made him. 

Especially since he’d noticed the growing sadness filling her big brown eyes in the last few weeks when she didn’t think anyone was looking, gazing out the window at her desk with a forlorn look on her face. As soon as she knew someone was watching her, she snapped back to business, the sorrow quickly tucked away and masked by a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

He’d tried to ask if anything was bothering her, but Poppy waved him off with various excuses - she was just tired, she had a lot on her mind from work, she was feeling a little homesick for Moonbright. While those were all true to a degree, Tora knew it was something deeper than just that. Poppy tended to push away negative emotions and memories that hurt until they built up so much she couldn’t ignore them any longer. 

While she knew Tora was different in every single way from her shitbag ex, old habits died hard. She’d been with that piece of cheating shit for years, and Tora knew it was going to take more than three months with him to move on from all that prick’s gaslighting she’d internalized.

He fully understood the need to protect yourself from abuse, the way manipulative control was an absolute mindfuck and left you not knowing who you were anymore, having to put a wall around the most tender parts of yourself to keep them safe. So he got why she still had a hard time being honest about things that touched on those vulnerable, core aspects of herself. 

It just meant he paid very close attention and made note of all the little things Poppy mentioned when she _did_ let her guard down and showed him what she kept close to her heart. 

It’d been just last week when she’d said something about having a craving for some spaghetti and meatballs, that it was a favorite dish from her childhood that always made her feel better. She’d brought it up a few more times in passing over the following couple days as she’d been less and less able to hide the sorrow in her eyes. 

When Tora offered to pick up some for her, that’s when he’d discovered it wasn’t really about wanting some comfort food.

Poppy had teared up and told him that it wasn’t a dish he could get from a restaurant. When a very confused Tora had pressed her on it, explaining that he could definitely get that for her here in the city, it’d finally come out that Poppy’s dad had made her spaghetti for dinner when it was just the two of them, after her mom left. Until her dad died from cancer and left her alone.

Obviously Poppy hadn’t been all on her own - her Granny and cousins had been there, she had friends, finished high school and went to college. But losing her dad when she was 15, before she’d grown up enough to appreciate him and all the things he did for her, had left a gaping hole in her big heart. And apparently right now that was manifesting as wanting his spaghetti for dinner. 

When Tora suggested they make it together, Poppy had smiled through her tears and hugged him tightly, thanking him for the thoughtful offer. But she’d said she just couldn’t bring herself to make that meal anymore. It just didn’t taste right whenever she tried to make it. She’d quietly murmured something about comfort food tasting better when it was made by someone who cared about you.

Well, challenge fuckin’ accepted. Tora was damned if he wouldn’t figure out how to make it as perfectly as he could for his girlfriend. She deserved it, deserved to be happy and loved and cherished. Deserved to feel how much she mattered to him.

So that’s why he was currently standing in his kitchen, trying to figure out how the hell to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, and Poppy wouldn’t be done with work for hours still, so he had plenty of time. He just needed to figure out if there was anything else he had to buy and then how to make the damn thing. 

His kitchen set-up was pretty bare bones, since he hardly ever cooked. He certainly didn’t keep the kind of spices on hand that would go into a dish like that. He’d picked up noodles and some sauce the other day, but wasn’t sure about the meat or seasonings. Poppy had specifically mentioned meatballs as an integral part of the meal. 

Tora had been on a mission the last several days, trying to gather whatever scraps of information he could from Poppy’s comments about her dad and his cooking. He could have just come out and straight up asked her...but he wanted this dinner to be a surprise. All he’d told her was to come over after work, that he’d take care of getting food for them tonight. He just hadn’t specified that he was going to _make_ it this time. 

He wanted to give himself some wiggle room, just in case it went south and ended up being absolute shit. He didn’t want Poppy expecting anything special only to be disappointed when it was takeout from Alice’s. He knew she’d enjoy that just fine - the old woman was a damn fine cook - but he really wanted to do this for her.

Tora could have easily gotten spaghetti and meatballs from at least five places he could think of off the top of his head. But he wanted to do this for her _himself_ , to show her that she was worth the effort.

Tora put his hands on his hips and huffed out a sigh. Well, if he could just get his shit together and actually figure out what the hell he was doing, he’d make her dinner. Why did this feel so fuckin’ difficult? 

He was going to have to learn how to cook better at some point anyways, so might as well start now. If he and Poppy were together long term - and Tora couldn’t imagine himself with anyone else _ever_ \- he certainly wasn’t expecting her to be the only one to make food all the damn time. 

He hated how a lot of the guys in the clan talked about their women, like they were just eye candy or their personal servants they fucked and gave nice clothes to. Hell no was he treating Poppy that way. She was no subservient doormat, that was for sure. 

Tora smirked. Feisty little shit that she was, Poppy would probably punch him in the nose again if he _ordered_ her to make him anything. And he absolutely loved that about her. 

Though she was more than willing to make him something if he asked or even mentioned how much he loved a particular dish she’d made. 

Just how many rice balls had she made for him at this point? He’d never get sick of those. Honestly, he loved that shit and thought it was so stinkin’ adorable. Just like her. 

So he was going to make her dinner and hopefully bring a smile to her face that reached her eyes. He hated seeing that sadness weighing her down and would do whatever he could to relieve it.

Tora pulled up Youtube on his phone for the umpteenth time that week, hoping maybe he’d find a more helpful video this time. Something simple and common sense. He highly doubted Poppy’s dad had made the fuckin’ noodles from scratch for a weeknight dinner for him and a 12 year old. 

Why did there have to be so many videos to wade through? He just wanted to know how to throw a few things together so it didn’t taste like shit. There couldn’t really be that many different ways to cook noodles and put tomato sauce on it, right?

Tora browsed for a few minutes before he felt his eyes starting to glaze over. He sighed and closed the app. Google wasn’t much help either - how the hell could there be 59 _million_ results for “spaghetti and meatballs”?!

He wasn’t even going to bother asking Quincey about it. The princess would immediately want to know _why_ Tora was cooking and then gush about how romantic it all was and how he’d put it in his next novel. Tora would never hear the end of it, especially if he fucked it up.

And as much as he loved the man, Tora knew he’d have some ridiculous and over-the-top suggestions to give the meal “some special pizazz,” whatever the hell that meant. He wasn’t going to use bougie shit like truffle oil or whatever the fuck Quincey had heard was currently on trend. 

He knew he could ask Gyu. Dude worked at enough restaurants, he’d probably made it before or at least had a more sensible recipe than whatever Quincey would offer. Tora knew his friend wouldn’t judge his lack of cooking skills. 

Tora opened his contact list, his thumb hovering over Gyu’s name for a moment before he swiped up to Alice’s number. The old woman would give him shit, but she’d help him out like she always had. Hell, she’d been willing to open up just for him that night when he’d realized how uncomfortable Poppy would have felt at the Black Swan the first time they went out together. But Tora didn’t call her either.

There was a stubborn part of him that wanted to do this on his own, without help, to prove that he could. He didn’t want to need anyone else’s assistance to make his girlfriend happy, he wanted to be able to do that by himself, god damnit.

A half hour later, Tora was still fretting and trying to figure it out, all too aware of the minutes ticking by. This was one of his days off, he didn’t want to just stand here like an idiot all day!

He grumbled to himself and finally admitted he should probably ask for help if he wanted to pull this off. Making Poppy happy was worth humbling himself a little bit. 

Tora was dithering between calling Gyu or Alice when a thought struck him that made him equal parts excited and nervous. 

He didn’t want to ask Poppy about her dad’s spaghetti recipe, but there _was_ someone else he could call that would know about that and might be willing to help him. Maybe. He wasn’t sure, but he wouldn’t know unless he tried.

Poppy’s Granny. 

He hadn’t met the woman in person yet, but Poppy had introduced him over a video call recently. He’d felt the scrutiny and judgment in the unimpressed gaze the old woman had leveled at him as they’d briefly chatted. He’d made sure his tattoos were covered for that call, but he was aware of how imposing he looked, especially sitting next to his cute little hamster of a girlfriend on her couch. 

Poppy’s grandmother had wanted to know why Poppy hadn’t brought him to Moonbright for a proper visit yet, which Tora really wasn’t looking forward to. His girlfriend had genuinely been too busy with work and helping Quincey finish his next book to leave town in the last couple months. 

But once the manuscript was done, he knew that they’d be making a trip to her Granny’s house for a long weekend. Tora wasn’t excited about being subjected to the likely cross examination about himself and what he did. He usually just let people assume whatever they wanted about him - it saved him from having to come up with any lies. The woman probably already thought he was just some no-good street thug who’d swept her granddaughter off her feet with his good looks and charm. 

Tora briefly smirked at that thought - she wouldn’t be completely wrong in thinking that. His smile fell as he considered more what position being in a relationship with him would put Poppy in. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to defend him to some of her only remaining family. 

Jesus, he just wanted to make his girlfriend some fuckin’ dinner, not have an existential crisis. 

Tora scrolled to the woman’s name in his contact list. Poppy had given him her Granny’s number after the video call, just in case he ever needed to contact her, though at the time Tora couldn’t think of any reason why he’d need to do that besides an emergency. 

_C’mon, man up and just hit ‘call’ already. You’re the motherfucking Tiger of Ares Street, why are you letting some old woman freak you out this much?_ he berated himself. 

Well, it wasn’t just any old woman, this was Poppy’s grandmother. And if he was honest with himself, he actually _did_ want to make somewhat of a good impression on her if he could. 

Before he could pysch himself out anymore, Tora punched her name and hit the call button, bringing the phone to his ear as he heard it start to ring. 

Maybe she wouldn’t answer, and he could say he at least tried before calling Gyu instea-- 

Before Tora could finish his thought the ringing cut off as he heard the telltale click of a phone being picked up. 

_Well, shit, here we go. Try not to fuck this up, for Poppy’s sake at least,_ he thought grumpily. 

He hated talking on the phone - it was so much harder to get a read on someone when he couldn’t see their face or observe their body language. People said so much without words that helped him figure out who they were, what they were thinking or feeling. Being left with only a voice and nothing else made him feel like he was floundering around in the dark. 

“Hello?” the voice of Poppy’s Granny said.

“Uh, hi, Granny. This is Tora...Poppy’s, um, boyfriend. We talked on the phone a couple weeks ago?” he said lamely, tripping over his words. 

_Smooth, tiger, reeeal smooth there,_ he groaned as he mentally slapped himself. _What are you, 12? Jesus, pull yourself together, you dipshit. Just ask her about her son’s fuckin’ spaghetti._

“Yes, I know who you are, dear. My granddaughter talks about you quite often. I’m just surprised you’re calling me. Is Poppy alright?” Granny asked, cutting through his thoughts, worry evident in her question.

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Everything’s fine. Poppylan’s at work right now,” Tora told her. 

Poppy talked about _him_ to her grandmother? _Often?_ About what? 

Focus. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He just wanted information. He was usually pretty good at getting that from people, wasn’t he?

Poppy’s Granny was obviously waiting for him to explain why he was calling, and he really wished he’d done a video call, just to be able to read her expression right now. He had no clue how to proceed and fumbled for his next words.

Tora continued as he raked his free hand through his hair and paced around his kitchen, “So uh, I know this is kinda random, to call you out of the blue like this when we haven’t even met in person yet...But Poppy’s been feeling a bit down lately, and I was hoping to cheer her up.”

He heard Granny softly sigh as she quietly murmured, “Oh, sweetie, why do you always try to just power your way through this? There’s no shame in admitting it hurts.” Before Tora could say anything, Granny went on, directing her words back at him again, “I’m guessing she’s thinking about her dad right now. This is always a hard time of year...for both of us. The anniversary of his passing is coming up in a few weeks.”

Of course, why else would she be wanting food her dad used to make? He couldn’t believe he hadn’t made that connection. He knew Poppy’s father had died sometime in the fall, based on a few things Poppy had mentioned here and there. But it wasn’t like she’d sat down and told him all the raw details. Tora didn’t want her to feel like she had to lay out something so painful unless she actually wanted to. He understood all too well the lingering ache of grief and loss. 

“No, she hadn’t told me it was coming up. I just noticed she’s been feeling sad lately and trying to hide it,” Tora said, pulling out one of the stools at his little kitchen table and plopping down on it. “Last week, she mentioned a few times that her dad used to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. That it was one of her favorite meals when she was a kid… and I wanted to make it for her...to maybe help her feel a little bit better. So I was wondering if you knew what his recipe was?” Tora spit out the last couple sentences in a rush, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could second guess himself. 

There was a long pause, and he kicked himself again for not doing a video call. He desperately wanted some indication of what the woman was currently feeling. He had no idea what she was thinking right now. Had he offended her? Been too forward? 

“You want to make Poppylan _spaghetti_ for dinner, just like _my son_ used to make for her?” her Granny said in a choked voice. 

_Shit._ He’d fucked up somehow. He’d really stepped in it now.

“Uh, I mean, if that’s like some sort of secret family recipe, I don’t wanna pressure ya or anything,” Tora stuttered, scrambling to recover, trying to figure out if he could still salvage this. 

He heard the woman sniffle before she interrupted his rambling, her voice quivering with emotion, “Well, that is just the absolute...sweetest and most thoughtful thing you could have called me about, Tora.”

He blinked. Huh? She wasn’t...upset with him?

Granny went on, “Poppy’s told me about how kind you are, but this...do you know how long she was with her ex boyfriend?” 

The sudden change in subject brought him up short for a moment.

“Too fuckin’ long,” Tora muttered before he thought to stop the swear word from slipping out.

Granny chuckled, apparently not phased in the slightest by his expletive, “My sentiments exactly. They were together for over 4 years, which was 4 years too long in my book.”

Well, that was something they both agreed on, that was for damn sure. Tora was liking this woman more and more. 

Granny went on, “And do you know that he _never_ cooked for her, not even once? Never made her so much as a single sandwich. I don’t think he even knew what her favorite food was, let alone what my son used to make for her.” She paused for a moment, and Tora had the thought she was wiping her eyes right then. 

She drew in a big breath before going on, her voice growing thicker with emotion, “I watched my granddaughter try to make herself smaller and smaller for that...that little _shitweasel._ The light just left her eyes the longer they were together. He cut her down, told her all the ways she didn’t measure up, while not lifting so much as a finger to support her in any way. She’d make him something, and he always had a reason for why it wasn’t good enough. Has she made you rice balls, dear?”

“All the damn time. And I _love_ ‘em,” Tora said happily, a grin spreading across his face. “They’re just so...stinkin’ cute. If that’s all she wanted to make me, I’d eat one every single day until I died and be a happy man.”

Granny’s next words wiped the smile right off his face, “Did you know Julri told her to stop making him those, because it was ‘too childish’? Said she needed to stop doing such silly things and act more grown up.”

 _What the fuck?!_ Tora clenched his jaw and scowled. Poppy hadn’t mentioned that. Now her reaction to when he took a picture of that first tiger rice ball made a lot more sense. 

His fingers itched to choke that little motherfucker. Not only did that piece of shit have the audacity to cheat on Poppy - the most beautiful woman Tora had ever laid eyes on - he’d belittled and mocked her sweetness, her thoughtfulness, her kindness and love. Made her lose sight of how amazing she was. That she was worth taking care of and being fussed over.

Why did that fuckin’ asswipe even get with her in the first place if he didn’t like all the things that made Poppy the awesome little hamster that she was? Tora would tell her every day until he died how fantastic she was, because it was fuckin’ _true._

He tried not to growl as he answered the older woman, “Nah, didn’t know that, but like I said, I love ‘em, and she can make me as many as she wants.”

He could hear the older woman’s smile through the phone as she went on, “That makes me so happy to hear, Tora. Even though I haven’t seen Poppy in person for a while, just talking with her on the phone, I can tell she’s got her light back. You make her so happy, dear. Seems like you appreciate her for who she actually is.”

“Damn right I do!” Tora blurted out. 

Granny laughed at his exclamation before she went on, “Poppy told me you can be a little rough around the edges, but I can tell your heart’s in the right place and that you treat her well. And that’s really all that matters to me. So….I’ll let you in on the secret to my son’s spaghetti and why Poppy loved it so much.”

Tora perked up and leaned forward to snatch a pen and a piece of paper off his counter. “I’m listening,” he said eagerly. 

She chuckled at him as she said, “My son was a single father for years, Tora. There is no special family recipe to it. He’d come home from work exhausted most days and make the easiest thing he could think of. I’m pretty sure he just dumped Ragu and store bought meatballs into a bowl as fast as he could boil the noodles.”

Tora’s face fell. _That was it?_ So what about it was so damn special? He sighed in disappointment, and Granny heard him.

“Here’s the secret, Tora: my granddaughter liked that spaghetti so much because the man who loved her most in the world made it for her,” she said gently. “I’m happy to give you any pointers, since it sounds like you haven’t cooked quite as much as Poppy, but whatever you make her, she’s going to enjoy. Think about it - would you love those rice balls so much if someone else made them for you?”

“Probably not,” Tora admitted. It just made him feel so damn special and loved that his Bobby made those for him.

“So I think however you make spaghetti for her tonight, Poppy is going to cry and tell you it’s the best meal she’s ever had,” Granny told him, and he could tell her eyes were twinkling with humor at how easily Poppy cried. “And it’ll be the complete truth, because _you_ took the time to make it for her. It’ll be exactly the comfort food she’s been craving, because--”,

“It’s made by someone who cares a lot for her,” Tora finished for her.

He could feel the woman’s smile through the phone as she said, “See? You’ve already got the Wilkes family recipe down pat.” 

Tora grinned bashfully and scratched the back of his head and then said, “So, uh, about those pointers you mentioned? Can’t say I’ve ever made spaghetti and meatballs before, and I do actually want it to taste halfway decent.”

Granny laughed, “Oh, I like you, Tora. I hope Poppy keeps you around for a long time.”

“Yeah, me too,” he murmured too quietly for the woman to hear as she launched into the instructions he diligently wrote down.

++++

Later that day, Poppy trudged up the six flights to Tora’s apartment. She was exhausted, feeling worn thin from all the work she’d done that week. 

But really she was spent from more than just her job. She’d been trying not to dwell on what time of year it was, but her heart wouldn’t let her forget. Curling up with her boyfriend on his couch and eating whatever takeout he’d picked up for them sounded great right now. She just wanted to cuddle and try to forget about the ache inside her for a little while. 

As she dragged herself up the stairs, a weirdly familiar scent hit Poppy’s nose. She stopped for a moment, and just inhaled. Her chest tightened as she realized someone nearby was making something that smelled exactly how their kitchen did when her dad made her spaghetti and meatballs.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she rubbed at her face briskly.

“Ugh, hold it together, Pops,” she muttered to herself. She was _not_ going to cry over some random stranger’s cooking today!

Tora probably already thought she was a ridiculous cry baby for how often she teared up. She didn’t need to show up at his door crying over a _smell,_ for goodness sake. 

But the higher she went, the stronger the scent got. By the time Poppy was standing at Tora’s door, it was the only thing she could focus on, it was so overpowering. 

She raised her fist to knock and just stood there for a moment, trying to steady herself. Dang it all, why was she being tortured this way right now? She didn’t have the energy for this today.

After a couple moments, she sighed and knocked, feeling defeated as the smell didn’t lessen in the slightest. 

Tora opened the door and the scent swirled around her as it poured out of his apartment.

Poppy’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him. 

He smiled at her, one of his dimples coming out. “Hey, Bobby, hope you’re hungry,” he said. “I made us dinner.”

The tears poured freely down her face as she threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest.

“You’re amazing, Tora,” she said, her face pressed into him as she hugged her incredibly thoughtful and kind boyfriend as tightly as she could. “And is that garlic bread I smell?”


End file.
